Combined wire reel and shipping carton



Aug. 5, 1958 w. J. WlLKE COMBINED WIRE REEL AND SHIPPING CARTON Filed April 19. 1955 Fig 1 William J. wnke IN V EN TOR.

BY nM v TORNEY United States Patent COMBINED WIRE REEL AND SHIPPING CARTON I William J. Wilke, Baltimore, Md.

Application April 19, 1955, Serial No. 502,323

3 Claims. 7 (Cl. 206-59) This invention relates generally to wire containing devices, and more particularly to a combined wire reel and a shipping carton therefor. Although this invention is illustrated in connection with a reel in the form of a container for shipping wire and cable, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto as it can most readily be used for shipping cord, rope, and the like.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a combined wire reel and shipping container for shipping wire, cable and the like.

It is another object of this invention to provide a combined reel and shipping container therefor which is compact, easy to pack with wire or cable, durable in shipping, and easy to unpack when it is desired to utilize the wire or cable.

Still another object of this invention is to provine a combined reel and shipping carton therefor which is economical to manufacture, and which is efiicient and reliable in operation.

Even still another object of this invention is to provide a unique design of wire reel and shipping carton therefor.

And another object of this invention is to provide a combined wire reel and shipping carton which is of simplified design, and which is easy to assemble.

These and other objects of this invention, as well as attendant advantages thereof, will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the single accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the invention comprising a combined wire reel and carton therefor;

Fig. 2 is a perspective of a detail of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken along line 33 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a transverse cross section of the wire reel and carton; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse cross section similar to Fig. 4 of the combined wire reel and carton, showing the wire in position and the container closed.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a combined wire reel and container therefor for receiving and storing wire during shipment and for storage thereof after being shipped. This combined wire reel and container comprises structure having two elements for defining a hub. The hub has an aperture therein for receiving a mandrel during the packaging and use of the wire which is to be received by the combined reel and container.

A housing is mounted radially of the hub for receiving and storing the wire and the like. This housing has two transverse walls, portions of which can be flexed to close the housing after the wire has been received between its walls. A sealing tape or the like can be utilized to seal the flexed portions so as to seal the 'ice 2 r I I housing to prevent moisture or the like-from entering therein during shipment. y

Referring now to Figs. 1 through 4' of the drawing, there is illustrated a combined wirereel and carton 8 for receiving and storing wire,-cable and the'like. This combined wire reel and carton'8 comprises two identical hub elements 16 and 18', and two Wheel like elements 12 and 14, which are also identical, and 'which are mounted radially of the hub elements: 16 an'd"18 for receiving and storing wire or cable 10. i

As shown in Fig. 2, the hub element 16 or 18' com-" prises-a vertical. wall portion19 and'--"a"plura'lity'of flap portions 17 which are formed integral with the wall portion 19 along line 21. These flap portions 17, together with the wall portion 19, form a frusto-conical hub 16 or 18.

As best seen in Figs. 4 and 5, the hub elements 16 and 18 are each provided with an aperture 30 for receiving a mandrel (not shown). These hub elements are secured together by a plurality of staples 34 which join the wall portions 19, as shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 5.

The wheel-like portions 12 and 14 of the combined wire reel and carton 8 define a housing for receiving and storing the wire or cable 10. The wheel-like sections 12 and 14 are mounted radially of the hub elements 18 and 16, respectively. These sections 12 and 14 are identical in shape, and each consists of a vertical wall 22 having a plurality of outer flap elements 20, best seen in Figs. 1 and 3, and inner flap elements 24, best seen in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. The outer and inner flap elements are preferably formed integral with the vertical wall portion 22. The outer flap elements are arranged to be flexed or bent along a line, such as the curved line 28, so as to close the combined wire reel and carton 8 after the wire or cable 10 has been placed therein. The inner flap members 24 are also arranged to be flexed or bent along a curved line inwardly so that they can be glued to the hub elements 16 and 18 by means of a suitable cement or the like.

The hub elements 16 and 18 as well as the wheel-type sections 12 and 14 are preferably formed of a stiff cardboard material by a stamping process. The hub elements 16 and 18 are then formed by bending or flexing the flaps 17 along the circular line 21 to form frustoconical sections, which are then secured together along the face portions 19 by staples 34. The wheel-like portions or sections are then mounted on thehub elements 16 and 18 by securing the flap portions to the hub elements 16 and 18 by glue or the like.

The combined wire reel and carton 8 is then placed on a mandrel (not shown), and the wire or cable is wound thereon. After the wire or cable is placed on the container reel, as previously described, the flap elements or portions 20 are then bent along the line 28 to close the reel-carton 8 and then a suitable adhesive tape 36 can be used to secure the flap elements 20 in position and to prevent the entrance into the combined reelcarton 8 of moisture and dust and the like.

When it is desired to remove the wire or cable 10 from the reel-carton 8, the end of the wire that is allowed to protrude through the reel-carton 8 on packaging is now used to remove the tape 36. The reel-carton 8 can be placed on a suitable mandrel to assist in unraveling the wire for use.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

l. A combined reel and carton, comprising, structure I I v 3 a defining a hub including a pair of frustro-conical elements, each element having its larger base open and its smaller base closed, with the smaller bases of said elements being mounted adjacent to each other, means for securing said frustro-conical elements together, and structure definingua cartontincluding a pair of spaced annular end walls having a plurality of flaps formed on theinner and outer peripheral edges thereof, said flaps on theinner, peripheral edges of each of said end walls being secured, to the corresponding slant surfaces of said hub elements, with the flaps on the outer peripheral edges of each of said end walls being arranged to close said ,carton structure.

An, arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for securing the smaller bases of said frustraconical elementstogether include fasteners.

3 An arrangement as set forth in claim 1, and tape means in applied position for securing the flapsf at the outer peripheral edges of said annular end walls together to close said carton. 1

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,029,975 Winchester Feb. 4, 1936 2,069,357 Dinion Feb. 2, 1937 2,402,093 Schermuly et a1. June 11, 1946 2,462,261 Goldberg Feb. 22, 1949 2,527,842 Mullaney Oct. 31, 1950 2,706,592 Schaller Apr. 19, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 9,789 Australia Feb. 1, 1928 642,982 Great Britain Sept. 13, 1950 

